Since the stable and last homeplace of David and Mary
Ann Zumwalt was on the Guadalupe River near Hochheim and that in turn was passed to
youngest daughter Sarah Ann Burkett and Little Berry Green, a large number of Burkett and
Green descendants cluster and are buried at Hochheim, DeWittCo, TX.
The three oldest children Edna, Nathan, Isaiah and possibly a Delilah who died young were
born in Missouri. Maxine Burkett Seltzer in The History of the Burkett-Gilliam
Generations lists two children not mentioned by other sources who were not included
in the distribution of the Burkett estate. They are Katie Elizabeth Burkett
(1834-1884) and Lela Burkett (b. 1842, possibly m. a Freeman).
According to Seltzer, Katie Elizabeth Burkett was born 24 May
1834 in GonzalesCo and died 18 Nov 1884 in Hochheim, DeWittCo, TX. She married J.L.
Crawford (1834-1912; m. 1. Deliah Weeks) bef. 7 Dec 1845. James Leslie Crawford was the
son of James A. (1800-1861) and Rachel Morris (1806-1879) Crawford. The Crawfords are
known for donation of the 5 acre plot for the Hochheim Cemetery and school. All are buried
in the Hochheim Cemetery. J.L. and Katie Burkett Crawford had children L.E. (b. 1854; m.
Mary Jane), Addie (1863-1869), Minnie (1868-1895; m. Lawrence), Annie L. (1873-1919), J.
Wiley (1874-1927), Elizabeth Jane (1880-1912), Ethel Lee Crawford (1881-1881) and Thomas
E. (1849-1939).

Edna Burket (abt 1819 HowardCo, MO-aft Nov 1850 TX) married Simon Wesley Cockrell (b. abt
1811 KY, son of John R. Cockrell) on 12 Feb 1838. The marriage is recorded in WashingtonCo
records although family legends refer to a marriage in Hochheim, DeWittCo, TX. It is
thought that Edna was dead in 1845 when the Burkett estate was partitioned and Simon
Cockrell received a portion for his wife. However, the 1850 Federal Census for CaldwellCo
lists family 91: Cockeral, Simon 36 KY; Edney 31 MO; Mary Ann 12 TX; William W. 10 TX;
Francis M. 6 TX; Ophelia C. 3 TX. Simon and Edna had children Mary Ann (b. 1838), William
(Bill) W. (1840-1923), Francis (Frank) M. (b. 1844), Ophelia C. (b. 1847) and Polly (See Children of Edna & Simon Cockrell).
Simon Cockrell is thought to be the individual of the same name who was wounded at
the Battle of Salado and whose narrow escape
from death at the hands of Córdova's Indians is the subject of multiple personal accounts
of the battle.

In 1837, Simon Cockrell received 320 acres bounty land
in GuadalupeCo for service to the Republic of TX 3 Jul to 3 Oct 1836. He received 640
acres bounty for service in VictoriaCo. For 1847-1848, he is listed on the Texas Ranger
muster rolls serving 25 Oct 1847 to 3 Oct 1848. He is on numerous land transfers in
Lockhart, CaldwellCo between 1850-1853. In 1861, he was a Pvt. in the 9th Cavalry,
FayetteCo, TX under Capt. R.N. Butler, Texas Troop, CSA. Family stories described him as
born in 1811 in KY. He had dark eyes and hair and was 5 feet 8 inches tall. His father was
believed to be John R. Cockrell. Ray's Austin Colony Pioneers refers to the Cockrell's as
early settlers in the Austin Colony, ending up around Flatonia on the west side of the
Colorado. They are referred to as old Tennesseans from around Nashville related to the
empresario Sterling Robertson. It points out that S.W. and J.A. Cockell (Cockrill) lived
in WashingtonCo in the days of the Republic. S.W. married Edna Burkitt and J.A. married
C.R. White. Simon Wesley Cockrell was a notorious character in Burket family legends. A
letter written in 1927 from Mary Ann Roseanna Green Rae (granddaughter of David and Mary
Ann Zumwalt Burket) to sister Margaret Mahala Green Braud/Woodrome tells the following
story:

"Dear Sister: ------The half-breed Indian who
married her <Mary Ann Zumwalt Burket> daughter, Edna, gave her more trouble than the
rest. Edna married him through fear. He had sworn to kill grandfather and her brothers too
if she did not marry him, therefore she was afraid. Grandmother begged her not to marry
him, not to give her pure young life to this brute of a man. She said, 'Mother, I know he
will kill my father and all my brothers so I will give my life to save theirs, you need
them, mother.' He took her to old Squire Moore. His house was the first between us and
Hochheim on the right side of the road. It was still there when I was married. Aunt Edna
was a beautiful woman, so mother and grandmother said, fair complexion, brown eyes, jet
black hair hung in curls. Mother had one of her curls of hair. It was nearly a yard long.
Aunt Edna had three girls and two boys by this half-breed. The boys names were Frank and
Bill. The girls names were Mary Ann, Ophelia and Polly. Polly was the baby and was buried
when Edna was. Grandmother talked to me so much about them and never did she talk without
shedding tears. This was her greatest sorrow. Ophelia was a sweet girl, the exact image of
her mother. After Aunt Edna's death, grandmother kept the children two years, then
Cockrell came and got them and took them to the Indian camp. They had many hardships to go
through, he took little Ophelia off and told them at camp he was going to kill her but he
put her down in he road some miles from Lockhart. Dr. Herff of San Antonio, was driving
home from a patient and found her crying in the road. She was five then. Dr. Herff asked
her about her mother. She told him she had no mother, that her mother was dead. Then he
asked about her father and she said, 'My pa don't want me, he said he would kill me if he
found me again.' Dr. Herff put her in the buggy and took her home with him in San Antonio.
They asked her many questions. She did not know her father's name, but she knew
Grandmother Burkett. The doctor and his wife had no children so they adopted Ophelia and
was sending her to school. Our uncle John Steen took a load of turkeys to San Antonio on
Christmas to sell them. When he drove up to Dr. Herff's to inquire if he wanted to buy
one, this little girl came out and Uncle John recognized her. She climbed up on the wagon
wheel. Uncle says, 'Doctor, where on earth did you get this child?' The doctor told him he
had picked her up on the road eight miles out from San Antonio. Uncle finished the sale of
his turks, came home and got grandma and Aunt Mahala and took them out there and they both
knew the child. But as the old people had learned to love her, they thought it best to let
her stay. The Herffs gave her a fine education and at the age of 20 married young Dr.
Thomas. At birth of her first child, she died. A little boy was left to the old people to
raise. I can remember her. She came to stay with us a while before she married.
Grandmother, mother and aunt Mahala gave her a fine quilt apiece to take back with her.
Mother gave her her mother's hair, it was so like her own. This took place before your
birth, dear sister, just before we left Moulton the last time. ------"

Nathan Burkett was involved in pursuit of Cordova from
Nacogdoches to the border in 1838. He served in Capt.
Mathew Caldwell's Ranger Company and with Capt.
Cameron's Victoria "Cowboys." He was with Cameron's troup at the
confrontation with Gen. Canales at Lipantitlan in 1842. He fought in the Battle of Salado
and was with Capts. Caldwell and Hays in the pursuit of Woll's army to the border and
numerous other encounters with Indians. In 1863, Burkett served as private with the Texas
Troops, CSA under Capt. J.F. Spears. Family legend says that Nathan was one of the first
two men to be baptized by immersion into the Baptist faith in the Guadalupe River. He is
buried in the Burkett Cemetery which is on private land on Nathan's portion of the original David Burkett league.

The Burkett Cemetery and the
Strange Blue Lights of Moulton

Lying practically on the current Lavaca and Fayette County line on the Burket League is the Burkett Cemetery where Nathan
Boone Burkett (see unfinished memoirs Early Days in Texas) and
Catherine Bunting lie on their original homeplace deeded them when DeWitt Colonist father
David Burket died in 1845. The cemetery is on private land owned by Dr. Kunik of Houston
as of 1996. A Dr. Meyer owns the adjacent ranch through which the cemetery can be accessed
on foot with difficulty. The site is on W. Wiedeman Road (LavacaCo Road 284) southwest of
Flatonia off Hwy 95 which runs down the Lavaca and GonzalesCo line, then one fork veers
due south. At a 90 degree due east turn in the road which becomes County Road 283, the
cemetery is about 200 yards from the road and a little off to the right of a ravine
running due south with the road before it turns. County Road 283 joins Hwy 95 north of
Moulton. Not knowing exactly where the spot was in my first search for it, whether the
site was still recognizable among the brush or whether intact markers were still standing,
I first scouted the direct route from the road before bringing along wife and daughter.
The barbed wire fence was tight and well nigh impassable over, under or between because of
the interwoven sorts of briars and vines. After attempting unsuccessfully to go under and
between, I finally tried over at an appropriate spot that looked a little sagging, but
nevertheless tearing the seat of my britches on the way over (for a short time the hard to
find site was marked by a patch from my jeans). I hiked at least several hundred yards
through the fields of rock hard clods, cow patties and cactus and an occasional rattler,
with no sign of any cemetery. Backtracking to the car, finishing off the seat of my jeans
going back over the fence at nearly the same spot, we approached the nearest house about
200 yards down and off the road. After facing a couple of menacing dogs whose barks
fortunately were much worse than their bites, we met Ms. Lucille Schonfeld, who treating
us cautiously at first, then warmed rapidly when she learned we were interested in
ancestors lying out in the cemetery. Ms. Schonfeld, although born in this country and
living here all her life, spoke with a clearly detectable and delightful Czech or German
accent, a not uncommon occurrence in this part of the country. Indeed a pleasant reminder
of the maintenance of the cultural heritage and diversity, despite removal for many years
from the old countries, for which this part of Texas is known and proud. This despite the
story passed down from Nathan Boone Burkett's brother, John
Henry Burkett, that he sold out his part of the Burkett League and moved
to Coleman County in 1882 because "he was surrounded by
Bohemians."Ms. Schonfeld has permission of Dr. Kunik to show sincere
visitors to the cemetery. She graciously escorted us to the site, which was grown over
with dense brush, and would have taken a while to find without a guide among the twists
and turns through two ravines among the sometimes head high Johnson grass.

The N.B. Burkett marker, listing six persons is the largest in the
cemetery, is enclosed in a rusting fence (see photograph below). Ms. Schonfeld, a
delightful host who stayed with us the entire excursion, related that most visitors in the
area are not interested in the cemetery and markers, but the local legend about sighting
periodically a strange ghostly bluelight that flies over the cemetery at night. She
confirmed the authenticity of the legend as witnessed by herself. She showed us the site
of a well that had been filled in which is assumed to be at or near the old Burkett
homeplace. There is also an old windmill and water tank nearby that she believes is
"very old.".

The Burkett
Cemetery is listed in Volume I of LavacaCo Cemeteries. The following burials are listed: J.H.
Baugh, N. H. Baugh, Catherine Burkett, J. M. Burkett, Lydia C. Burkett, N. B. Burkett,
Nicy Ellen Burkett, Alexander Humphreys, and Josiah Powers. The Baughs were infant
sons of Nathan Boone Burkett's daughter Mary Jane (Mollie) and Loving Harvey Baugh who are
believed to have lived nearby. James Moses Burkett (1854-1868) and Lydia Caroline
(1868-1890) were children of Nathan Boone Burkett. Nicey Ellen was an infant daughter of
Bart Burkett. Alexander Humphreys was the father of Mary Carroll Humphreys who married Isaiah Burkett. The last burial reported in a survey in 1981 was in 1917. On 9 Dec 1896, deedbook 25, pg. 466-471, shows that T.A. Leazer, John A. Leazer, Nancy L. Leazer, J.F.
Leazer, Rhoda Leazer, W.S. Leazer, Rachel Leazer, Bart Burkett, Mary Jane Burkett, David
Burkett, Melissa J. Burkett, William Burket, Laura Burkett, W.O. Harwell, M.A. Harwell,
C.H. Howard, C.E. Howard, J.H. Burkett, L.L. Burkett, F.H. Hardin, N.E. Hardin, N.B.
Burkett, J.D. Burkett, Josephine Newton and J.G. Newton came together to sell to Albert.
A. Cherry the area of the Burket League on which the cemetery and the old Nathan Boone
Burkett homeplace stood and possibly plots owned by others involved in the sale. According
to Mr. Glenn Cherry, descendant of Albert Cherry, the Cherrys and Burketts must have been
close friends for he was passed down in family records several photos of the Burkett
family including a copy of Nathan Boone Burkett and Boys. A.A.
Cherry purchased the historic Eggleston House and
property in Gonzales from William Ponton Eggleston in 1869--Wallace
L. McKeehan, Sons of DeWitt Colony Texas. [N.B. Correspondent
Bill Kempton wrote that he visited the cemetery in the 80's in search of Elizabeth Cooper
Moore, the first wife of Josiah Powers who preceded him in death. He located the
broken marker of Josiah Powers, but not his wife who he believes may be buried there.
About 10 ft to the east of the Burkett marker are those of Jesse Cooper and wife
Emily (marker added in 1985). Both Josiah Powers and Jesse Cooper came to the area in the mid 19th century
and were unrelated to the Burketts.]

Isaiah Burkett(1825 CallowayCo, MO-1862 Springfield, IL) married 30 Nov 1854 Mary Caroline
Humphreys and had 4 children.
In 1861, Isaiah enlisted in the army of the CSA with other men from Moulton area. He was
in Company I, 24th Regiment Texas Cavalry, Wilke's 2nd Texas Lancers, 2nd Regiment, 2nd
Regiment Carter's Brigade. He was captured by Union Forces in 1862 at Ft. Donaldson, TN,
imprisoned in Cairo, IL where he died of pneumonia after a march to Camp Butler Prison in
Springfield. He never saw his youngest son Thomas Jefferson. Mary Humphreys Burkett taught
school arriving on horseback everyday accompanied by children Martha, Nancy and Tom.
Family sources say widow Mary later married Dr. C.M. Hall or C.M. Hale of Flatonia.
The story goes Bartholomew Burkett was able to retain custody of both Isaiah's
children and those of a second husband after Mary's death.

Mahala Burkett(1 Sep 1830 Old
Mexican Municipality, Coahuila y Tejas-25 Nov 1881) married first a Manning and then in 29
Apr 1850 DeWittCo, TX John Rumley Steen (1825-1910). They had 13 children. According to
family lore Mahala was born at Matagorda Bay, TX on the way to Gonzales after arrival of
the David Burket family on the coast from MO. Some records list her as born in MO. Memoirs
and land records indicate that the family was settled in the DeWitt Colony near Gonzales
by the time of her birth. Mahala was clearly the first of the David Burket children born
in Texas. She and husband are buried in the Steen Cemetery on County Rd. 336 off Hwy. 183
near the Guadalupe River in GonzalesCo, TX. (Photo is thought to be Mahala Burkett)

John Rumley Steen (October 30, 1825
June 11, 1910) went to Gonzales County circa 1850 and married Mabelle [Mahala] Burkett
(September 1, 1830-December 25, 1881). They settled in the southern edge of the county in
an area still known as Steen Flat. John's brother Enoch settled in another part of the
county. John Rumley's parents were William (1783-1846) and Mary Rumley Steen (1792-1846)
who lived in Mississippi. His grandparents were William and Nancy Lusk Steen who emigrated
from Ireland to South Carolina. Linda Steen Norris (Reprinted by permission of the Gonzales County Historical
Commission).

John Henry Burkett (5 Jan 1833 Old Mexican Municipality, Coahuila y Tejas-8 Mar 1894 ColemanCo, TX)
married first 17 Aug 1852 DeWittCo, TX Elizabeth Caroline Leazer (1834-1883) then 14 Feb
1893 in DeWittCo, TX Sarah Elizabeth Mahaffey (d. 1894). John H. and Caroline Burkett had
11 children.
John Henry, along with three brothers, enlisted in the Army of the CSA in LavacaCo in
1862. With brothers Isaiah (in some records Isaac) and Bartholomew, John Henry
Burkett joined the 24th Regiment of the Texas Dismounted Cavalry in LavacaCo on 16 Mar
1862 under Capt. B.F. Fly. He was captured with his brother Isaiah along with most of the
regiment in TN. John Henry escaped, but was recaptured in Arkansas, spent time in prison
at Little Rock and on 23 Jun 1864 was shipped to the Rock Island Barracks, Rock Island,
IL. He was sent to New Orleans in 1865 to be exchanged for Union prisoners at Red River
Landing, LA. Overall he was imprisoned there for 3 years. His brother Isaiah
died in the IL prison of pneumonia due to exposure.

The
family ranched their inherited land, then sold 216.25 acres in LavacaCo, TX on 29 Jul 1882
to M. Novak for $2800 and moved to ColemanCo. Daughter Nancy Eudora Burkett wrote in 1960
from DeLeon, Texas

I was only seven years old when Dad sold out and left South Texas.
He was surrounded by Bohemians and sold to one M. Novak. Their customs were strange to the
settlers from the States, and few of them spoke English. He bought sheep, goats and horses
and loaded two wagons. Dad drove one, Mother drove the other one. He shipped the furniture
to Coleman. Then we took off. It was a slow go as the sheep had to eat as we went along.
Dad would go ahead and pitch camp and Mother would prepare the meals on an outside fire
and wait for the boys to bring up the herd and bed them down. It took three months to make
the trip. We finally got to our place and pitched camp west of present Burkett. Dad and
brother Dave hauled lumber twenty miles to build our house. Dad was a carpenter by trade.
We landed in August, and a cousin. Joseph, son of Uncle Barth, that came with us took down
with typhoid fever and Mother took care of him till he died. Then Mother, Dave and Kate
all took down with it. Mother was buried on Christmas Day on the coldest day they ever
saw, in the Cousin Bill Wesley Cemetery in Coleman County. Her gravestone reads: Elisabeth
C. Burkett. (Might have been New Years Day instead of Christmas Day).

On 29 Aug 1882, John Burkett bought 1280 acres of land
from Max Mass in ColemanCo for $1408, $704 in cash and the balance on credit. This
plot was 20 miles northeast of Coleman and 3 miles southeast of Burkett on the south side
of Pecan Bayou. As mentioned above in 1883, typhoid fever struck the family taking
cousin Josiah Burkett who planned to travel back to his home in LavacaCo and Elizabeth
Caroline Burkett who nursed him and others. Sons Arthur David and Kate (Catherine)
recovered. Elizabeth Caroline Leazer was the daughter of John William and Dovie
Minerva Walker Leazer who came to Texas from North Carolina about 1847. Her youngest
sister, Mary Jane, married Bartholomew (Bart) Burkett. In 1893, John Henry returned
to DeWittCo, TX to marry the widow of Gid Mahaffey, a school teacher with 3 children.
ColemanCo records indicate she left John Henry Burkett before his death and was not
mentioned in his estate. The Cemetery referred to above by Eudora became to be known as
the Burkett Cemetery after the death and burial of John H. Burkett in 1894. Son
David erected a fence around the private plot where several Burketts are buried. In
1976 the site was on the Knox Ranch, also known as the Will Gould Place, at the west end
of Sunset or Burkett Road.

Margaret Burkett(1836 GonzalesCo, TX-1849). According to the 1850 census, Margaret was blind. She
was included in the 1845 distribution of the Burkett estate.

Bartholomew Howard Burkett (12 Jul 1838 LavacaCo, TX-28 Jan 1901 GonzalesCo, TX) married 13 Jun 1860 Mary
Jane Leazer (1844-1920) (sister of Caroline Leazer, wife of John Henry above). They had 11
children. The couple
lived in Moulton in early years after marriage, then moved to Dreyer, GonzalesCo.
Bart Burkett served Company I, 24th Texas Cavalry, Wilkes Regiment 2nd Lancers, 2nd
Regiment Carter's Brigade, which later became Company I, Granbury's Consolidated Texas
Brigade. He and several members of the family are buried in Hochheim Cemetery,
DeWittCo, TX. The Leazer sisters (sometimes spelled Leasure in records) were
children of John William and Dovie Minerva Walker Leazer of Charlotte, NC and CrawfordCo,
PA, respectively. The elder Leazers are buried in Old Moulton Cemetery,
LavacaCo. Granddaughter Ruby Fisher relates in her genealogy of the family:

The widows of the Civil War victims suffered much and it was a
publicized fact that my grandfather, Bart Burkett gave the gleanings of his crops and much
aid to them during this difficult time in the area where he owned his land and later when
he returned from the war he continued to assist whenever possible. He was a quiet, soft
spoken man with much integrity and perseverance and he rode a horse well, so it was
natural for him to volunteer for the Cavalry. He taught my father, Berry Harris Burkett to
ride well and thus all his life he had a great respect and love for the best breed of
horses and at one time in his life when I was about ten years of age, my father owned a
pedigreed stallion named Stein. Well I remember the Pedigree Certificate with Stein's
picture in the center of it which was framed and hanging over the mantle of our fireplace.
Grandfather Bartholomew was a very religious man scrupulously faithful to his
church and belief which was of the Baptist faith. Although my aunt Mahala, Sarah Ann
and Emma Burkett were given the advantage of boarding schools, the soil cultivation left
little time for schooling for Bart's sons.lt amazed me of the knowledge that my father had
acquired of the laws of our government since his education had been limited. However he
was an avid reader and acquainted with a vast knowledge of the history of our beloved
America. His penmanship was beautiful and his inner thoughts when revealed were on a high
level of moral soundness, although a man of few words when spoken had the ring of great
eloquence. He was a man capable of deep feelings and had a great respect and reverence for
his father, Bartholomew Howard Burkett and at his death a great part of his life was
silenced with grief and soon thereafter left the land of his childhood days to new
territory with new hopes and dreams.

After Bart Burkett's death in 1901, his property was partitioned among
is heirs. Widow Mary Jane conveyed her part in 1918 to daughter and son-in-law B.C.
and Eudora Burkett Neighbors with whom she lived until her death in 1920.